Akron Law Review, Vol. 57 [2025], Iss. 1, Art. 2 68 AKRON LAW R EVIEW [57:49 employment (because they lack social security numbers), 113 or government benefits including social security benefits. 114 In turn, without identification, some applicants could not access financial services, even to deposit a check, 115 or to vote. 116 Birth registration is the step that allows individuals to have their “presence in society [be] legitimized” to be “recognized as a productive member of society.” 117 Second, these individuals’ experiences indicate that the U.S. government agencies did not recognize them as citizens. Many sought birth registration to access benefits like authorization to work in the United States or to register to vote—privileges of U.S. citizenship. When government agencies deny individuals these privileges, those agencies indicated that they did not recognize the individuals as U.S. citizens. Third, registering their births with the state of birth was a prerequisite to establishing U.S. citizenship. In several instances, the individuals mentioned above were able to resolve their predicament after (and only after) their birth was registered through state-delayed registration processes. 118 Others, in addition to obtaining state registration, also had to sue a federal agency to obtain recognition of citizenship; none were able to resolve their status without state birth registration. These experiences demonstrate that registering a person’s birth with the state is a prerequisite to securing federal recognition of U.S. citizenship. The next Part discusses the relationship between federalism and delayed birth registration processes. that Timothy Tucker sought birth registration to obtain a driver’s license); Born in the USA, supra note 107 (noting that Jamie Lanosga was unable to obtain a driver’s license without birth registration). 113. See RadioLab, supra note 2 (noting that, without a social security number, Alecia Pennington could not work); see also Schreiner & Barrouquere, supra note 104. 114. Angelino v. N.Y.C. Dept. of Health, No. 156470/2019, 2019 WL 4575695, at *1 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Sept. 17, 2019). 115. Diekneite & Garrison, supra note 52 (quoting a lawyer recounting that a client was unable to cash a check without photo identification, which the client could not obtain without a birth certificate). 116. See RadioLab, supra note 2. 117. Tucker v. New York City Dep’t of Health, 785 N.Y.S.2d 862, 863 (Sup. Ct. 2004). 118. See RadioLab, supra note 2 (noting that, after birth registration, Alecia was able to obtain a driver’s license and to vote); Barrouquere, supra note 106 (noting that the two sisters, after registering their birth, sued the Social Security Administration and reached a settlement allowing them to obtain social security numbers). https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/akronlawreview/vol57/iss1/2 20